Apparatus for storing and dispensing liquefied gases



March 14, 1950 f mmllll-ma I 1 P. PEFF 2,500,320 APPARATUS FcR s'ronmc AND DISPENSING LIQUEFIED GASES Filed uayza, 1945 llllllllll INVENTOR Feier Pe/)f' v @QM AQ /VV- ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 14, 1950' UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlpcE.

APPARATUS FOB STORING AND DISPENS- HNG LIQUEFIED GASES Peter Perf, Reno, Nev. animation may 2a, 1945, serial No. 595,126

` a claims. (ci. ca -ii E y. This invention relates to apparatus for storing, transporting and dispensing liquids which are volatile at normal atmospheric pressure and temperature, such liquids being those commonly known as liqueedgases, such liqueed gases having a relatively low boiling point. Liquid oxy' gen is an example and its characteristics with respect to evaporation and volatility are representative of the kind of liquids with which the invention is concerned. g

The invention has for its object generally to provide apparatus in which liquid oxygen.' and other liqueed gases, such for example as nitrogen and the like may be stored and transported, and from which the liquefied gas may be dispensed while stored at relatively low pressure to a receiving container under relatively much higher pressure.

According to one embodiment of the invention there is provided an apparatus which comprises a vacuum insulated storage chamber enclosed in a housing for holding the liquefied gas, an auxiliary or pumping chamber outside this housing, a relatively long conduit bent in peculiar shape, as hereinafter described, connecting the storage chamber and pumping chamber, and pumping means associated with the auxiliary chamber whereby the liqueed gas at relatively low pressure may be transferred from the storage chamber to a receiving container at relatively much Also, the pumping chamber higher pressure. embodies means, hereinafter described, `for utilizing escaping gas to maintain vthat chamber cool and also means, when the pumping mechanism is in use, for maintaining a substantially constant body of liquefied gas in the pumping chamber to insure a supply of liquid to the pump.

Although the'novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention are pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself as to its objects and advantages and the manner of constructing the apparatus and the manner of using it may be better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, in which,

Fig. 1 is a view in cross-section of an apparatus constructed according to the invention, certain parts of which are shown more or less diagrammatically; and

Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section to larger scale of that part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 comprising the pumping chamber, pumping mechanism, oatyalve and its associated parts.

.erence characters represent corresponding parte,

the apparatus shown is for storing, transporting and dispensing liquid oxygen although it will be understood that apparatus according to the' invention may be used for the same purpose in connection with other liqueiied gases having a relatively low boiling `point of the same order as liquid oxygen.

As shown in the drawings, a metal storage con tainer l0 is mounted in a housing il. The container i0 may be of a standard known construction. It has a neck i2 suspended from an adapter i3 carried on the housing. The housing is oi double wall construction having an outer wall i4 and an inner wall l5 between which is inserted a suitable insulating material i6, such, for ex ample, as magnesia. 'I 'here is provided a space il between the container l0 and the inner wall l5 of the housing. This 'space is evacuated and thus a vacuum insulated storage container i is provided. A foraminous tray i8 is suspended on the'container l0. This tray carries an adsorptive material i9', such as charcoal, for adsorbing gases which might find their way into the vacuum space i1. This aids in maintaining the vacuum.

`Secured to the outer wall I4 of the housing il is an auxiliary housing 20. This housing covers an auxiliary metal container 2l which provides a pumping chamber 22. The space between the outer walls of the housing 20 and the container 2i is lled with a suitable insulating material 23, such, for example, as magnesia. 1t will be observed that a conduit 24 connects with the vacuum space il and extends to the container`2l.

The container 2| which is below the bottom of the storage container l0 is connected to the storage container by a relatively long tube 25. This Referring to the drawings, in which like ref-V tube is a relatively thin wall metal tube of low heat conductivity and it will be noted that it is positioned within the vacuum space I1, thev inner wall I5 of the housing Il being provided with a pocket 26 to accommodate a substantial length of the tube 25 when the latter is bent and coiled as hereinafter described. A suitable material for this tube is nickel silver, monel metal, or the like.

The tube 25 is bent in a peculiar shape and lpreferably'in the form of a spiral, as shown at 21. It is particularly important to note that the tube 25 has a short downwardly extending portion 28 and upwardly extending portion 28 and then a downwardly extending portion 30 and iinally spiral turns 3l terminating in a straight portion 32, which connects to the interior of the pumping chamber 22. It is significant to note that the tube 25 is bent in such fashion that it has a middle portion at a higherlevel than either side of the middle portion. In other words, the tube is bent so as to form a portion of it in the general shape of an inverted U, this part being shown in that portion of the tube 25 designated by the reference character 33. Other -shapes of bends may be used but it is important to have an inverted U portion near the outlet 34 of the storage container I and a relatively long run of the tube connecting the inverted U portion with the pumping chamber 22. The high middle portion 33, that is, the inverted U-shaped portion just mentioned, forms a gas trap as described in further detail hereinafter.

The auxiliary container 2l is provided with a pump, designated generally by reference character 35. The pump comprises a cylinder 36 provided with one or more intake ports 31. Mounted to reciprocate in the cylinder 36 is a piston 38 connected to a piston rod 39 passing through a stuiling box 46. The pump may be operated by hand, or, if desired, mechanical means may be provided for operating the pump. Such mechanical means are shown diagrammatically in Fig. l and may comprise a pitman 4I connected to the piston rod 39. The pitman may be eccentrically mounted upon a drive wheel 42 which in turn may be driven by a prime mover, such as electric motor 43, which drives the wheel 42- by a belt 44.

The cylinder 36 of the pump 35 is provided with a discharge port 45 connected to a discharge conduit 46. A check valve 41 is mounted in the discharge conduit .46. Thus liquidpumped by the pump 35 through the discharge port 45 can pass only in one direction, namely, out cf the charne ber 22. If, under certain conditions., a higher pressure is exerted in discharge tube 46 in a direction toward the interior of chamber 22, liquid is prevented from passing backwards into chamber 22 by reason of the check valve 41 resting in its seat 48. As shown, the check valve 4l is mounted in Aan outwardly extending portion of the pump casting.

There is provided in an upper portion of the auxiliary container 2l a vent port 49. Connected to the vent port 49 is a vent tube 56, which is spirally wound around and-adjacent to the Walls of the container 2|. The vent tube 58 passes through the housing 20 and is provided with a valve 5I. This valve is adapted to open and close the vent tube 50. While the vent tube in the illustrated embodiment is shown in the drawings as being spirally wound around the container 2l, it may be otherwise positioned adjacent the container by winding it horizontally or vertically or otherwise.

The container 2l is also provided with a iloat valve arrangement, the purpose of which is described hereinafter. The oat valve comprises a float 52 to which is fixed a downwardly ex-jtending guide rod 53 vertically slidable in a guideway 54 in a post xed to the inside of the container 2|. Also secured to the float 52 is a valve stem 55 having at its'outer end a valve plug 56 shaped to seat in a corresponding valve seat 51 at the vent port 49. The valve plug itself is provided with a groove 58 so that when the plug 55 is seated in its corresponding seat 51 -there is still a small passageway connecting the chamber 22 with the vent tube 50.

The storage container I0 is also provided with a pressure relief valve 58', which may be adjusted to relieve pressure in the interior of the storage container at any predetermined pressure as desired. A threaded plug 59 is provided for closing the neck of the storage chamber I6 and may be removed for purposes of charging liquid into it. There is also shown in tube '25 a valve 63 having its stem 6l extending through the housing 20. Thus the hand wheel 62 on the valve stem 6I is available for opening and closing the tube 25 between the storage container i0 and auxiliary container 2| when and if desired. However, this valve 60 may, under certain conditions, advantageously be dispensed with and the tube 25 connected directly to the container 2 l.

The device described may be used and operated as follows: It may be assumed that valve E is opened or dispensed with entirely, as it is not essential to the operation, and it may be assumed that the liqueed gas to be stared in and dispensed from the container l0 is liqueied oxygen. The plug 59 is removed and the liquid oxygen is poured into the container through the neck i2 while the vent valve 5I is closed. A suilcient amount of liquid oxygen may be poured in to bring the level fairly close to the top of the container l0 but leaving some space above the level of the liquid. As the liquid oxygen 63 is poured into the container a small amount of liquid will gravitate into the discharge tube 25 and thence into the auxiliary chamber 22. As the liquid comes into contact with the warmer metal of the Walls of the tube 25 and the container 2l, it will evaporate. This evaporated gas will fill the chamber 22 and the discharge tube 25, but due to the fact that the middle portion of the tube 25, that is the inverted U portion 33, is higher than the portion 32 of tube 25, the gas will be trapped in that higher middle, or inverted U portion 33, and will not be able to escape upward through the liquid 63 in the container I0 and into the upper'gas space above the liquid level in this container. This trapped gas in the inverted U portion 33 will prevent any more liquid from passing out of the container I il through the terminal portion 32 of the tube 25 into the auxiliary chamber 22. Therefore, there will not be any more loss of liquid from the container lil while the liquid is in storage in this container except the normal loss due to the small amount of heat losses that are normally present with this type of container not equipped with a transfer pumping chamber. It will be understood, of course, that the apparatus may be transported from place to place, if desired, for dispensing the liquid oxygen.

When it is desired to transfer any liquid from the storage container` l0 into the high pressure line 46 by means of the liquid pump 35, then valve 5I is opened. This will allow the gas which will have collected in chamber 22' and tube 25 to vent itself through the vent tube 50 and thus provide a lower pressure in chamber 22 than in the contalner l0. Consequently, the liquid will flow from the storage container through the tube 25 into auxiliary chamber 22. In other words, gas which has been trapped in chamber 22 and in the gas trap portion 33 of tube 25 is vented through valve 5I. Then the liquid will flow from the storage container to the auxiliary chamber 22, because the outlet of tube 25 into the chamber is lower than the liquid in the container I0. It will be noted that the liquid level in chamber 22 will rise above the intake port 31 of the pump 35. When the liquid level is thus above the intake port 31 of the pump, the liquid in the chamber 22 upon 5 actuation oi!y the piston I8 will be forced by the pump through. the discharge port 45 past the check valve 41 into discharge conduit 40 and the pump will force the liquid through conduit 4B at a higher pressure than the ,pressure in the chamber 22. The discharge conduit 48 may be connected to a vaporlzer through which the liquid is forced and va'porized and the gas may be forced into high pressure cylinders or to pipe linesfor use, as desired.

During the storage period or during the period of transfer, it may be preferable to have the4 storage container plug 59 closed to reduce the evaporation loss of the liquid in the storage container. If the plug 59 is in place and the pressure inside the container l should exceed the safe working pressure of the container, the safety valve 58 will relieve the pressure by letting out the excess evaporated gas.

During the dispensing operation, valve El will be slightly open in order to discharge any gas that may accumulate above the surface 64 of the liquid in chamber 22, because if too much gas accumulates in this chamber, it will cause the liquid level in this chamber to drop below the intake ports 31 of the pump, and the pump would then not receive liquid. If it should happen that the vent valve i is open too much, and the liquid level in the chamber 22 should reach its top, some liquid might find its way out through vent port 49 into the vent tube 50, where it would be evaporated and go out as gas through Valve 5i and be wasted. To avoid that, the auxiliary pumping chamber 22 is provided with a oat valve arrangement to control automatically the amount of gas going out through vent tube 50 and valve 5l. This arrangement comprises the float valve described above. As the liquid level 64 rises in chamber 22 it will raise the float 52 and at a predetermined level the valve plug 56 will seat in its seat 51 and substantially close the vent port 49.v Since this port will be substantially closed but for the small passageway 58 in the plug 56, the gas pressure above the surface 64 in chamber 22 will tend to rise and thus offer a greater resistance to flow of liquid from container l0. The result is that a substantially constant body of liquid is maintained in the chamber 22 during the dispensing operation without unnecessary loss of liquid oxygen through the vent tube 50. l

It may -be noted also that such gas as flows through the vent tube 50 will tend to maintain the container 2| cool. This is an added advantage in devices of this character wherein conservation of heat or prevention of heat losses is very desirable.

While a specific embodiment has been described to illustrate the invention, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, -substitutions and omissions of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention comprehended by the annexed claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described which comprises an insulated storage container for holding liquefied gas, a discharge tube having one end connected to the interior of said container near its bottom, an insulated housing about said container and tube, the other end of said tube extending through said housing. a valve to close said tube, said tube being bent to form a gas trap within the insulated housing between said container and valve.

2. In a storage and dispensing apparatus for .accesso liquefied gases oi' the character described, an insulated storage container for holding liquefied gas, an insulated auxiliary container to receive liquid from said storage container from which the liquid may be pumped, and an insulated tube con; necting with the interior of said storage container and auxiliary container for transferring liquid from' said storage container to said auxiliary container, said tube being located below the storage container to said chamber,

container and having a short portion extending downwardly from said container, an inverted U shaped portion having one leg thereof connected to said short portion and the other leg connected to the remaining portion'of said tube, said remaining portion being longer than said rst mentioned short portion. l

3. In a device for storing and dispensing liquefied gases of the character described, an insulated storage container for holding liquefied gas, an insulated auxiliary chamber to receive liquid from said storage container from `which the liquid may be pumped, an insulated tube connecting with the interior of said storage container and auxiliary chamber for transferring liquid from Asaid said tube being located below the storage container and having a bent portion forming a. gas trap in said tube between said storage container and auxiliary chamber, a pump to transfer liquid 'from said chamber, an openable and closable vent connected to said chamber, and means including a float valve responsive to change in liquid level in said chamber and coa'ctive with said vent for maintaining a substantially constant liquid level in said chamber.

4. vApparatus for storing and dispensing liqueed gas of the character described which comprises an insulated storage container for holding liquefied gas, an insulated pumping chamber from which liquid from said storage chamber may be pumped, an insulated conduit below said storage container and connecting said storage container and pumping chamber to transfer liquid from said container to said chamber, said conduit having a downwardly extending portion connected to said container near its bottom, a,

U shaped portion and a remaining portion, one leg of said U shaped portion being connectedto said downwardly extending portion and the other l leg being connected to ,said remaining portion whereby to form a gas trap in said conduit between said container and chamber, a pump in said chamber for pumping liquid, which has been transferred from said container to said chamber, and a discharge conduit connected to said pump to carry liquid pumped from said chamber at a higher pressure than the pressure in said chamber.

5. Apparatus for storing and dispensing liqueed gas of the character described vwhich comprises `an insulated storage container for holding liquefied gas, an. insulated substantially closed pumping chamber from which liquid from' said storage chamber may be pumped, an insulated conduit below said storage container and connecting said storage container and pumping chamber to transfer liquid from said container to said chamber, a pump in said chamber for pumping liquid, which' has'been transferred from said container to said chamber, a discharge conduit connectedr to said pump to carry liquid pumped from said chamber at a higher pressure than the pressure in said chamber, a vent tube connected to said chamber and wound about said chamber through which to pass gas evaporated in s l a,soo,sao

7 said chamber and a valve to open and close said vent tube.

6. Apparatus for storing and dispensing liquetied gas of the character described which comprises an insulated storage container for holding liquefied gas, an insulated substantially closed pumping chamber from which liquid from said storage chamber may be pumped, an insulated conduit below said storage container and connecting said storage container and pumping chamber to transfer liquid from said container to said chamber, said conduit being shaped to form a gas trap between said container and chamber, a pump in said chamber for pumping liquid, which has been transferred from said container to said chamber, and a discharge conduit connected to said pump to carry liquid pumped from said chamber at a higher pressure than the pressure in said chamber, a vent tube connected to said chamber and wound around said chamber and a valve to open and close said vent tube.

7. A device of the character described for storing and dispensing liqueed gas such as liquid oxygen which comprises an insulated container for storing said liquid, a pumping chamber below said container, a conduit connecting said container and chamber for transferring liquid from said container to said chamber, a pump for pumping liquid from said chamber which has been transferred from said container to said chamber to discharge said liquid at a higher pressure than the pressure in said chamber, a discharge conduitl connected to said pump through which to dispense said liquid, a vent in the upper portion of said chamber and a float valve movable in response to change in liquid level in said chamber and coacting with said vent for maintaining a substantially constant body of liquid in said chamber. i

8. A device of the character described for storing and dispensing liquefied gas such as liquid oxygen which comprises an insulated container for storing said liquid, a pumping chamber below said container, a tube connecting said container and chamber for transferring liquid from said container to said chamber, said .tube having a bent portion forming'a gas trap between said container and chamber, a pump for pumping liquid from said chamber which has been transierred from said container to said chamber to discharge said liquid at a higher pressure than the pressure in said chamber, a discharge conduit connected to said pump through which to dispense said liquid. a vent port in the upper portion of said chamber, a oat valve for maintaining a substantially constant body of liquid in said chamber, a vent tube connecting with said vent port and Vhaving a substantial length wound around said chamber' and a valve for opening and closing said vent tube.

9. 'A device of the character described for storing and dispensing liquefied gas such as liquid oxygen which comprises an insulated container for storing said liquid; a pumping chamber below said container; a tube connecting said container and chamber for transferring liquid from said container to said chamber, said tube being located below said storage container and having a short portion extending downwardly from said container, an inverted U shaped portion having one leg thereof connected to said short portion and the other leg connected to the remaining portion of said tube, said remaining portion being longer than said rst mentioned short portion; a pump for pumping liquid from said chamber which has been transferred from said container to said chamber to discharge said liquid at a higher pressure than the pressure in said chamber; a discharge conduit connected to said pump through which to dispense said liquid; a vent port in the upper portion of said chamber, a iioat valve for maintaining a substantially constant body of liquid in said chamber; a vent tube connected to said vent port and wound around said chamber; and a valve to open and close said vent tube.

PETER PEFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 19,054 Heylandt Jan. 16, 1934 1,482,505 Bergner Feb. 5, 1924 1,753,785 Heylandt Apr. 8, 1930 1,878,317 Picard Sept. 20, 1932 2,292,375 Hansen 1 Aug. 11, 1942 

